This invention relates to a ski rack for mounting on a wall or other supporting surface to hold and store skis or the like when not in use.
The prior art shows a number of devices useful for storing skis in an upright position when not in use. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,330,573 to Sieloff discloses a ski rack having top and bottom clamping members, with a camber block therebetween, all of which are mounted on a wall. The bottom of a ski is inserted into the bottom clamping member, after which the ski is forced into an opening in the top clamping member against an outward bias provided by camber block 15. Thereafter, a pivotable bar latch is placed into position to retain the top portion of the ski within the opening provided in the top clamping member.
The disadvantage to the structure shown in the Sieloff patent lies in the number of discrete steps which must be performed in order to place the ski in position on the rack, and therefore which must be performed in reverse order to remove the ski from the rack.
The present invention provides a ski rack of simple and efficient design, which takes advantage of a feature universally found in skis of any type, viz., the diverging edges of the ski as they extend from the rear tip portion to the front tip portion. That is, the ski rack of the present invention provides a means for engaging the diverging edges of the ski to retain the ski in its storage position. This aspect of the invention provides a simple and effective manner of retaining the ski on the rack, and involves a minimal number of steps in placing the ski on, and removing the ski from, the rack.
In accordance with various aspects of the invention, a rack for holding one or more skis or other elongated objects, each of which has a pair of spaced edges which extend in a divergent relation to one another along at least a portion of their length, includes a ski rack frame adapted for mounting on a supporting surface, such as a wall or the like. Broadly, the ski rack of the invention includes retainer means connected to the frame for retaining the ski on the frame by engagement with the diverging edge portions of the ski. More specifically, the retainer means comprises a pair of opposed members disposed one on each side of the ski, which are adapted to engage the diverging edge portions of the ski when it is moved between the opposed members in a manner such that the diverging edge portions are brought into contact with the opposed members. The opposed members may be mounted on the frame for movement toward and away from each other to accommodate different widths of skis to be stored. Furthermore, the opposed members may be mounted for pivotal movement with relation to the frame to accommodate the movement of the ski therebetween.